Matthew concludes chapter three with an account of the baptism of Jesus. This is a significant event that marks the beginning of his ministry, and is punctuated with the voice of God declaring himself pleased.

Matthew has not mentioned Jesus since Joseph moved the family to Nazareth at the end of chapter two. Most of this third chapter has been focused on John the Baptist and his ministry preparing the way for Jesus to come. Luke gives a snapshot of the life of Jesus, when he was twelve years old, when he amazed the religious leaders with his wisdom, in Luke 2:41-52.

Now, John’s ministry wanes as Jesus begins the public part of his life, ultimately leading to the cross. During the time preceding this event, Jesus has worked with his earthly father, Joseph, as a carpenter in Nazareth. From that location, he probably had to walk seventy or eighty miles to the Jordan River to be baptized.

The baptism of Jesus is not an action that he performed as a result of John’s preaching. As far as we know, Jesus never heard John preach. No, this is an action prompted by the Father, which Jesus obeyed willingly.

John, however, was not as willing to perform this baptism, and tried to prevent it (verse 14). This suggests that John knew exactly who Jesus was, and realized that he should be the one being baptized instead.

Jesus knew that he needed to be baptized by John, and persisted. But his baptism is different from any other. Baptism is for sinners, in order to receive the forgiveness of their sins. Jesus was sinless, but he humbled himself, and set a perfect example for us to follow. We too must submit to God through baptism. For us, it is for the forgiveness of sin; for Jesus, it was the method by which his Messiahship was to be revealed to John, and to the world (John 1:33-34).

Those who fail to be baptized fail to follow the example of Jesus in fulfilling God’s will, and disobey one of the clearest commands that God has given us, through the Great Commission, in Matthew 28:18-20:

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

As mentioned, this baptism took place in the Jordan River. The word “baptize” comes from the Greek word baptizo, which means “to dip” or “to immerse.” Jesus was buried or immersed in the Jordan. Through this, he set us a pattern of obedience. After this, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus as a dove, a symbol of purity and peace.

It’s notable to see a detail that Luke gives us that Matthew does not. In Luke’s account, in Luke 3:21, Jesus is shown to be praying immediately after he was baptized. This is a key aspect of the entire ministry of Jesus. He begins it with prayer, and he ends it with prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, and at almost every moment in between these two points. Jesus prayed about everything. That is an excellent model for you and me.

Matthew wraps up chapter three with the voice of God declaring, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” There are only three occasions in Scripture where God speaks from heaven in connection with the ministry of Jesus: here at his baptism, at the Transfiguration in Matthew 17:5, and in the temple shortly before the end of his ministry and life, in John 12:28.

In this case, the words of God echo what is found in Psalm 2:7:

I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.’

These words, written centuries before Jesus, were applied to his life by God himself. This makes it clear to all that Jesus is the Son of God.

The lesson here is plain to see: When we submit to the leadership of Christ in our life, when we obey his commands to us, such as his command to be baptized for the forgiveness of our sins, then God will recognize us as his children as well.

Question: What stands out to you the most about the baptism of Jesus? You can leave a comment by clicking here.